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I'm an Academic Herald. I'm not a "real" herald; I don't register people's coats of arms (though I can certainly suggest designs for those who might be interested). What I do is study, research, teach, and write about heraldry. And I like to share what I have learned about heraldry, hence this blog. I hope that you'll find it informative, interesting at least occasionally, and worth your time to come back. Got a question? Comments? Feel free to let me know. I'd love to hear from you. You can find my contact information in my Profile.

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Monday, January 31, 2011

It Is Not a "Coat of Arms"

In a recent (January 22, 2011) story, the Graduate Studies at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, has adopted a new "coat of arms" to replace its earlier "logo." As nearly as I can make out from the story (found on-line at http://www.dartmo.com/archives/1289), the "logo" was placed within an oval; while the new one, because it's placed in a standard heater shield shape, must therefore be a "coat of arms."

I really wish sometimes that I could say it more strongly: Just because it's on a shield shape, that doesn't make it a coat of arms! (Conversely, just because it's on a oval, that doesn't mean that it's not a coat of arms!)

Oh, well, I suppose I should be grateful that they didn't call it a "crest."